AIM log: Katelyn and Utena
Who: Utena and Katelyn.
Where: Along the path from St. Catherine's to Greenfield's, the local clothing store in town.
When: One random afternoon in mid-April. Before Utena leaves for Japan, or Katelyn meets Rei and River for the free archery lessons.
Private to anyone who wasn't there or nearby at the time. Which would probably be most people, unless someone caught a fleeting glimpse of the two girls walking together.
A Trip into Town: Katelyn and Utena
Dressed in her new uniform, Utena stepped out of her room, one hand in a blazer pocket, the other by her side. She strolled across campus, feeling relaxed and confident, glad that her days of wearing the ridiculous skirt were over. As she moved towards the edge of campus, intent on going into town, she saw a familiar body sprawled in the grass. With a small grin, she made a detour over to Kate and nudged the girl's bare foot with her own loafer.
Katelyn rolled over, staring dreamily upwards at her friend. "Ooo-tennah the Prince! It is, good to see you!" Smiling, she was reminded of the last time they had spoke. "Thank you again, for your candy. It was very good." It was then that she thought that it was slightly odd to run into anyone this far towards the edge of the campus. "Where...where do you go now?"
"I need to go in to town, the tailor was nice enough to have my first uniform ready by Saturday, but I need more and today's the day to pick them up." She smiled at her new friend. "What are you doing out here? Watching clouds?"
"Watching the butterflies," she said in correction. "It is Spring, the weather is warm, and they seek the flowers." As she spoke, she held a hand outward, and as if by command one idly fluttered onto the tips of her fingers, spreading it's blue and yellow wings in the sunlight.
"You have a way with them..." Utena brushed tendrils of pink hair away from her face as she gazed at the butterfly. "My mother said the only way to pet a butterfly was to touch its aura - that any heavier touch would damage its wings. I never tried."
"It is, painful. The wings are delicate, and they can no longer fly." She spoke as if she had personal experience, but did not think to clarify. "Your mother sounds like, a very nice person. Did she like butterflies?"
Her smile turned sad. "She did. And roses, she loved roses. We had a garden full of flowers..." Utena stretched, the movement of her muscles familiar and comforting.
"I am...sorry. You are sad." Katelyn became slightly sad as well. As the butterfly floated away on a breeze, she spoke again. "I, do not remember my mother well. I was very young, when I last saw her."
"The last time I saw 'kaa-san, I was four." Utena shifted her weight, then glanced at her friend. "Where is she now?"
"I-I do not know." Katelyn looked down towards the ground. "I, do not have a father anymore. And my mother...I do not know where she is. Or if she even remembers Katelyn."
"Mothers always remember their children," Utena said kindly. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she loves you."
Katelyn smiled and nodded, though she was not sure that would be the case after so many years. However, it was not in her nature to stay sad and gloomy for long. "Ooo-tennah said she needed to get new clothes. You did not like your old ones?" She tugged at her skirt as she spoke of the standard uniforms.
Utena took the cue to change the subject and chuckled. "I've never liked wearing girl's uniforms...and actually, I never really have. I wore them when I first got here because there weren't any boy's uniforms to be had - but then I decided to have my own made."
Katelyn looked somewhat confused. "But, Ooo-tennah is not a boy? Why does she like dressing like one? I, do not understand...is it because there are no boys in this tribe, except for the Elders?"
"It might seem weird to you, but Princes don't wear dresses or skirts, so neither do I." Impulsively, she extended a hand to the girl. "Want to come with me into town?"
Gracefully accepting the hand, Katelyn stood up to join the Prince. "Into town?", she cautiously asked. "I have, never been to a...town, before..."
"There's no time like the present, then." Utena grinned, releasing the girl's hand after giving it a friendly squeeze, and gesturing towards the path away from campus. "This is the path most of the students use to walk to town. It's a little shorter than taking the official road that the cars drive on."
"Are you sure, that it will be all right?" Katelyn began to walk alongside Utena as she spoke. "At the Wildcat tribe, they would not let me leave the grounds. They were, scared, afraid to let me go far away." Looking up towards the taller girl, she asked, "Will the Elders here be angry?"
"As long as we don't stay out late or miss class, they don't mind," Utena replied reassuringly. "And I suppose they wouldn't like it if we went to places that are inappropriate for a St. Catherine's student, but I don't think we could get into those places anyway - and who would want to?"
Katelyn did not respond, not sure what kinds of places were considered 'inappropriate' for girls like them. Part of her was tempted to say that she wanted to, as she wanted to see and try and experience everything, but she decided not to disagree with her older friend. Instead, she smiled and walked alongside her, thinking of what they might find while they were out.
"So if you haven't been to a town before, this should be interesting for you. We can look around for awhile and explore." She stretched one arm above her head casually, crooking it at the elbow and resting it against the back of her head, one hand dangling down.
"It will be, very interesting." Katelyn definitely agreed, as she was looking forward to seeing how the people in this world lived. "What kinds of things do you think we might see," she innocently asked her companion.
Utena chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, then released it from between white teeth. "Cars, for one. I'm not sure how you got to St. Cat's, but we'll be taking a footbridge over the main road." She paused. "They built for us - the students, I mean. The townspeople didn't want respectable catholic schoolgirls being mown down by all the speeding cars." She grinned in emphasis over the "catholic schoolgirls" remark.
"I do not remember how I came to America...I was badly injured and did not wake up until later. But from the Wildcat tribe, I was taken on one of these cars." She paused for a moment. "They are...very loud. I think I would rather walk, yes, or maybe fly." She continued to listen to her friend, not realizing any stereotypes concerning catholic schoolgirls. To her, she only understood it as far as everyone in the same area wearing similar clothes. "I do not know why you dislike catholic schoolgirl clothes, though. They are pretty, I think." She then twirled around once as she walked forward, laughing lightly as the hem of her skirt flared out from the motion.
Utena laughed at her friend's antics. "You look cute in them." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a funny twinge and hoped she hadn't blushed. "I just think it's funny that there's a magical school here, and most of the people around here don't even believe in magic."
"I do not understand these people sometimes," Katelyn said in somewhat of an understatement. To be more specific, she continued. "How do they not believe? If they see, then how can they not think it is real?"
"They see what they want to see." She shrugged, shoving her hands into the blazer pockets casually. As they walked, the town grew nearer and nearer, and within moments they had crossed the footbridge. The sidewalk broadened and became smoother as they grew nearer to the commercial district. The first shop on the outskirts of town was a small convenience store, intended to service the needs of students far from home with snacks, drinks, postcards and other little necessities.
"This is, the town?" She looked about the area, and towards the store in particular. "This is where Ooo-tennah gets her Prince uniform?"
"Not at the Stop N Shop, but that store is the first place on the way to the tailor's shop. Greenfield's is in the square - the nicest part of the town, actually. There are cafes, department stores, a chocolate shop..." and she winced slightly at the thought of that particular establishment.
Katelyn happened to notice Utena's awkward facial expression. "Ooo-tennah does not like chocolate, then, yes? You gave yours to Minako the Roommate, Artemis Tau, and me, and you do not like that store."
"I guess chocolate is okay, I just kind of...lost my taste for it recently." The pained expression flickered across her face again and she ruthlessly shoved it aside. "I'm trying to think if you would like any of the stores. I don't really know what you like, other than nature and animals. There's a pet store, but I don't like it because I feel sorry for the dogs and cats in the little cages."
"I, do not know what I like, either" she reluctantly admitted. "In the jungles, I did not have time, I had much work to do. When I was not hunting or sleeping, all there was to do was swim, or sun on a rock, or play with the animals." She paused for a moment to think back of her previous school. "Here, I have many classes, because I need to catch up. I spent much time learning the English tongue. It is, better at this new tribe, but I do not have many hobbies."
Utena nodded sympathetically. "I know you have a lot of work to do, but you should have fun sometimes, too. You can come play basketball with me sometime, if you want." They proceeded steadily, until they were nearly to the square.
The naive girl looked around, noticing the change in her environment. "This is the good part, where the Green Field is with your Prince uniforms, yes?" Her eyes turned instinctively towards an open space with a fountain, flower bushes and grassy areas, serving as a small bit of scenery for those sitting outside at the cafe's to look at while eating.
Utena grinned. "That's a green field, all right. Greenfield's, though, is the tailor's shop, and it's just down this sidewalk. If there are any stores you want to look at first, we should do that. No sense carrying a pile of uniforms around town!"
To Katelyn, all of the buildings looked similar in size and shape. Some had hints as to what they sold inside, but many just had corporate slogans and company names on the signs out front. Randomly, Katelyn pointed to a nearby building because of it's interesting shape and the colors of it's logo. "How about this one," she said as she started walking towards the local pub.
Utena nearly squawked with alarm, and grabbed her friend's hand. "That's one of those places I was telling you about - places where St. Cat's students shouldn't go." She grinned sheepishly, leading Katelyn to the establishment next to the pub. "This is a music store. Do you like music?"
"On the outside, it looks the same..." Katelyn spoke quietly at first before answering the question posed to her. "I like music, yes. But I have not listened to much music since coming here, only in cars. Can we...go listen?"
Utena nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, they like for people to come in and listen - because they want you to find a song you like and buy the CD." She glanced over at the pub one more time and addressed Kate's first comment. "And you couldn't have known, because you're right, it does look like all the other buildings. But we'd get in trouble for going there because they serve alcohol." At the questioning look on Kate's face, Utena hurriedly explained. "Alcohol is a drink that makes you act silly, and it can even make you sick if you drink too much."
"It is like kava, then." Katelyn nodded slightly as if she knew more about that topic than the average girl her age should. "The natives in Amazon would drink kava at their celebrations. I, did not know many people, but sometimes they would seek me out. Ask for blessings for weather or hunting or harvests. It was, not as good as feywine, but it did make the villagers very silly and often sick the next morning."
Utena nodded. "Here, only the...what you'd call Elders? Only the Elders are supposed to drink alcohol. And students like us aren't allowed to go places that sell it." She browsed around the store, then beckoned Kate over to the World Music section. "This section has some drumming music, is that anything like what you had in the jungle?"
"That is okay. It is not time for celebration, as it is too early for harvest." She looked around at the many plastic boxes that lie before her, picking several up to look at the pictures on the fronts of them. "Drum music? Yes, there were many drummers at Amazon. They have drums here as well?"
Grinning, Utena pointed to the bright box looming over the wall of CDs and pulled down a set of headphones, demonstrating their use and then handing them to Kate. Her finger hovered over the button that would start the demo track from the tribal drumming CD.
"This is...this is great," she commented eagerly. "These make music just like drummers!" She closed her eyes and began to bob her head with the beat produced by the headphones.
She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm, then pressed another button, changing the demo selection to a gay Irish jig, full of pipes and fiddles.
Her eyes blinked open in a cute display of minor confusion as the song changed mid-beat to something different entirely. "This is...I do not know this music." She paused for a moment to listen, taking in the new sounds. "It is very light. Very open and happy. I like this, too!"
The final button on the box was linked to a selection of Japanese koto music, and Utena pressed the button, a half-smile on her face as she wondered what Kate would think of the music of her homeland. The song was slow and pensive, elegant and refined, yet exotic. It had been written to be performed by geisha entertaining wealthy Japanese nobility and was nearly noble, itself.
This third song intrigued Katelyn the most. The first reminded her of the native tribesmen living in small pockets around the Amazon, and the second sounded vaguely like the music of the Fey. But she had never heard anything like this third style, so soothing and relaxing as opposed to the energetic beats of the first two. It had a mysterious sound, the silence between notes somehow as intriguing as the plucked strings themselves. She closed her eyes as she became lost in their elegant notes. "This one...I cannot describe at all. But it is very special, yes, and I think I like this most."
Utena's warm smile reached her blue eyes with a special sparkle. "I'm glad you like it. That music is from Japan, where I grow up. It's played on an instrument called the koto - and it was once the specialty of beautiful and talented women called geisha."
Katelyn smiled back as she continued to listen to the deep and meaningful notes that the stringed instrument created. The tempo slowed for a moment, becoming sad and soulful, before swelling back to a quicker and more playful pace. In her mind, Katelyn imagined a world where beautiful, talented women dressed in flowing robes plucked the strings of ancient instruments and made such music. "Geisha...", she repeated with her cute little accent. Almost daydreaming, she idly commented "I wish, I could be beautiful and talented and make music like this...."
"You have your own talents, I'm sure," Utena said with a smile. "Beauty, too." And she turned away quickly, hoping the other girl didn't notice the tiniest blush touching her cheeks.
Not noticing Utena's sudden blush, she slowly shook her head in disagreement. "I, am not very talented. I only know to survive. But in this land, that skill is not needed." Katie paused, trying to think of the things that she was able to do. "I only know things like how to hunt, and make things from leather and bone. There is no place here, for talents like that..."
"But you're a Slayer. And I guarantee you're more prepared for hunting demons than any girl raised in the city." Utena smiled encouragingly and began ambling towards the popular music, clicking the CD cases together as she flipped through them.
Katelyn laughed, remembering her bad habit of always launching arrows over the targets instead of through them, at least on the very first shot. "Even in slaying, I only know knives and slings. I must, learn more to fight with swords and arrows." Curiously, she began to watch Utena as she flipped through the plastic cases. "What do you look for now?"
"Betsune." Utena blinked, then repeated in English, "Nothing, really." She held up the Utada Hikaru CD with a wry smile. "When I'm reading Japanese, I tend to speak it out loud, I guess." She flipped the CD over, tracing the familiar kanji with her fingers. "It's unusual to find a Japanese CD in an American store like this - I wonder why they have it?"
"I, do not know?" Katelyn tried to answer the question, not realizing that it was probably rhetorical in nature. "Many students are not from here. Maybe, they like this music too?"
"We do have a lot of Japanese students here," she commented. Utena put the CD back - she had no need of it, because it was already on her MP3 player back in the room. "Have you seen enough of the music store?"
"Hmm!" Katelyn smiled and nodded happily. "So, where do we go next, Ooo-tennah the Prince? Do you need your clothings now, or do you want to go, to another store?"
"I think we have time to stop in another store before I pick up the uniforms. Can you think of something else you'd like to see?"
"Hmmmmm...." Katelyn brought a hand to her chin as she tried to think of someplace that might be interesting. Glancing across the street, her eyes caught another building seemingly at random. "How about that one?", she asked as she pointed in the general direction of a coffee shop.
Utena nodded her agreement and held the door to the music shop open in a Princely manner, escorting her friend across to the coffee shop. As the girls stepped inside, Utena breathed in the intoxicating scent of coffee. "I wish coffee tasted as good as it smells."
"Coffee does not taste good...", her naive friend repeated as she soaked in the new information. "But it does smell good, yes." She looked up at Utena as if slightly confused. "Then why do people drink, if they do not like the taste? Is it also like kava?"
"You might like the taste - some people do. It's bitter." With a smile, Utena went to the counter and ordered a small coffee, holding the hot liquid out to her friend. "See for yourself, but be careful, it's hot."
"This is, for me?" She smiled as she accepted the drink from her friend. Holding the cup carefully in both hands, feeling the warmth soaking into her skin through the styrofoam, she curiously examined the beverage, looking at it's color and taking in it's smell before cautiously taking her first sip. "MmmmMMHH!", she cried out from behind closed lips. "It is very hot, yes!" She then chuckled afterwards, finding the sensation of her slightly burned tastebuds somewhat amusing.
Utena chuckled, not unkindly, at her friend's reaction, then took the cup and put some cream and sugar into it, cooling and sweetening it. She took a sip of it herself, pronouncing it acceptable, and handed it back to Kate. "Try it again now."
She peered into the cup, commenting on the visible changes. "It is, different now. The color is light, and the drink cloudy." A little more cautiously this time, she took a second sip. "Hmm," she said as she thought of words to describe the beverage. "It is, not bad....but the flavor is....I do not know the word. It is, strong, I think?"
"It is. It's good for when you're sleepy - coffee can give you energy." She grinned. "It's no substitute for sleep. One time, Wakaba stayed up all night studying for a test, and she drank coffee all night long. She fell asleep on her desk and failed the test!" Utena chuckled at the memory of her friend's experience. "Sensei let her make it up, though, so it wasn't a big problem."
"This drink gives you energy. That sounds, like it could be useful." Katelyn chuckled though as Utena continued her story. "I think I would rather have sleep, than depend on energy from a drink. It would be bad to fall asleep in the class of Hroo-kah"
Utena laughed. "It would! She'd come up with some horribly devious punishment."
"I would be, very worried." The naive girl thought back to earlier, when some of the other students played their pranks on her. "I am, very lucky that she is not upset with me, after all." She paused as she smiled weakly. "I thought she was not pleased. But she says that I can stay, and it was a trick."
Utena pressed her lips together with disapproval. "I don't like pranks." She paused thoughtfully. "I know you're a Slayer and you can take care of yourself, but if anyone tells you something that sounds bad like that again, tell me. I'll help."
A quiet slurping sound could be heard as Utena spoke, Katelyn finishing off the last of her small drink while she listened. "I will be, okay. That only means that I must try harder." Katelyn smiled up at her taller friend as she spoke with optimism. "But thank you, for being there to help."
She smiled warmly. "You're welcome. Should we go get those uniforms now?" Elegantly, Utena bowed to her friend and opened the door to the coffee shop.
"Yes, yes. That is why we needed to come here." She happily skipped out the door, and began looking around for signs that said something about green fields. After scanning the various buildings for a moment, her eyes settled on the clothing store. "It is this one," she said as she pointed further down the sidewalk.
Utena nodded at her friend. "Yes, that's Greenfield's." Placing a hand gently on Kate's elbow, she escorted her to the door and then opened it for her, waiting until she had entered the shop with its scents of freshly dyed fabric and leather.
Katelyn entered slowly, looking about this new building with curiosity similar to the previous stores. She took in the sights of all the different fabrics in countless shapes and sizes and colors, her eyes growing wide at some of the more delicate garments prominently displayed on the mannequins near the front of the store. Somewhat in awe, she said very little as she walked down the first aisle, eagerly looking at all of the items being showcased.
An elderly woman, her face like a withered apple, stepped forward with a twinkle in her black eyes. "Back for more uniforms, Miss Tenjou?" Utena smiled at the proprietress respectfully, half bowing. "Yes, Bowen-san." She half-turned, displaying the uniform she wore. "It's perfect, I'll be happy to have more."
Katelyn looked up and watched as Utena modeled her own, unique uniform. She smiled, thinking that it did seem to fit her original personality, though she still knew little of how and why people dressed the way that they chose to. She admired the girl briefly while she posed, and then turned to look at one of the displays once again. while she listened to the two speak, a hand cautiously reached out to touch the soft fabric on a particularly cute looking top that a fake torso wore.
The proprietress turned to the newcomer and smiled welcomingly, yellowing and crooked teeth forming a pleasant smile nonetheless. "And who might you be, young lady?" Without waiting for an answer, she extended her bony hand. "I'm Emily Bowen. My husband Harold opened this store with his business partner Alan Greenfield sixty years ago, and I've been working here ever since."
"Oh! I am called 'Katelyn'. I came here with Ooo-tennah the Prince." She looked around somewhat hesitantly, not knowing what else to say. "I, do not have clothing like this...I-I only came to look and see. But they are very beautiful, yes."
Utena smiled, reaching into her pocket for her wallet as her friend spoke to the proprietress. She fingered through the American dollars, counting the unfamiliar bills carefully. "You're too feminine for this menswear, missy," Emily said to the girl. "A dish like you should wear pretty things." She tapped a wrinkled cheek. "I did take in a dress for alteration, recently, and the lady who ordered it never came back to pick it up. It's been sitting in my storeroom for months collecting dust - but I think it would fit you perfectly. Would you like to try it on?"
"But these are my pretty things...", Katelyn said quietly, her school uniform being the prettiest outfit she owned next to her one blue dress. However, this was not saying much as the only outfit that she owned was her gym clothes. She looked back up as she felt the finger poke her cheek, listening as the elderly woman continued to speak. "You can make me look like...like these?" Her eyes wandered up to one of the nearby mannequins modeling a cute and feminine design. Katelyn's face began to light up. "Really, I can try?"
"Certainly," Emily replied, patting Kate's cheek one last time before turning and walking to the store room. "You girls go into that fitting room and I'll bring the dress to you."
Katelyn eagerly nodded, and glanced at Utena briefly before beginning to walk in the direction that Emily pointed out to her. "It is, okay, yes?"
Utena nodded. "Sure, we have plenty of time." She strolled casually into the fitting room, seating herself on the little bench inside.
Katelyn followed her into the small room, standing in front of the mirror and staring into her reflection. Her hands smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform blouse before falling to the hemline of her skirt. She pulled it forward, just enough to look down at it's dark, bleak, colorless design. "I am not pretty in this clothing after all...", she said while examining her uniform.
Utena blinked, startled. "What would make you think that?"
"Even the Elder here says I should wear pretty things. But I can't..." She looked into her own blue eyes, reflected back at herself in the mirror. "I wish I could be pretty, but I'm just a jungle girl. I don't know how to paint my face or have nice things to decorate my body with."
"Being from the jungle has nothing to do with whether you're pretty or not - even what you wear has nothing to do with it." Utena smiled reassuringly. "Beauty is on the inside, and that's the most important thing." She paused, and winked. "Not that there's anything wrong with you on the outside. You have beautiful hair and eyes."
Katelyn looked mildly confused. "Then...if people are beautiful on the inside, then why do they spend so much time, doing things to make themselves beautiful, on the outside? Is it...wrong, to want to be pretty on the outside too?"
Looking thoughtful, Utena leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes briefly. "No, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be pretty on the outside, and you are, and you would be even without trying," and again she smiled reassuringly at Kate. "Some people think more about the outside than they do the inside, and they aren't bad, really, but maybe they are missing out on all the nice things inside a person."
"I see...I think," the girl said as her mind took in the new information. Instead of worrying about things further, she began to unbutton the front of her blouse. Slowly a smile began to return to her face as she anticipated whatever it was this store owner had that she thought Katelyn would look nice in. Pulling the uniform shirt free from the skirt that it was tucked into, she finished the last few buttons and let the garment slide down her shoulders and onto the floor.
Utena averted her eyes, mentally chiding herself for wanting to look at her friend. Before the moment could turn awkwardly, however, Emily Bowen returned, opening the fitting room door and pressing a hanger into Kate's hand. "Try that on, dearie, then come out and let me see you." The dress was a soft lilac color, knee-length with an asymmetrical hemline and it was made of an impossibly soft chiffon blend that would drape flatteringly against the body. The modest vee-neckline was accented by a knot that would fall between the breasts and draw subtle attention to the cleavage of the wearer.The barely there sleeves capped the shoulders neatly. A long zipper ran from the back of the collar to the waist, and it had been deftly sewn into the fabric so as to be nearly invisible when closed.
Katelyn stood there, unashamed, as the door began to open. Her shoes already kicked off, she was left wearing only her pleated uniform skirt, white socks and a black sports bra. She looked over her shoulder at the older woman's announcement, and then turned halfway in her direction. With her torso facing Utena, she turned her head and accepted the hanger with a smile. "This is....this is really pretty! Thank you, for letting me try this!"
The urge to look was nearly irresistible, but Utena prevailed, keeping her gaze discreetly averted, even as Kate's...charms...were right in front of her face. Princes, she thought, do not leer at their friends! Emily chuckled. "That brassiere won't go with the dress at all, dearie. The lines won't be perfect, but try it on without it." Emily pulled the door closed, leaving the girls alone, and walked over to the three-sided mirror to wait.
Nodding, the partially dressed girl simply pulled off the undesired article of clothing which deceptively held back her ample bosom. Now completely topless, no lines were visible on her lightly tanned skin. "That is something else, that I do not understand. The Teacher of Flight told me that I was, not allowed to wear underclothes." She placed a foot next to Utena, as she leaned forward to roll down one of her socks. "And now, this Elder says the same thing....but, doesn't it hurt to run fast, if you do not wear them?" Stepping down, she pulled the first sock off before stepping up again to repeat the process with her opposite foot.
Before she could stop herself, Utena looked up and got an unintentional eyeful of creamy breasts and pert nipples. She bit her lip and was fairly sure that despite her best efforts not to do such an unprincely thing as blush, her cheeks were quite red. The girl forced her tone to normalcy. "I think the not-wearing-underclothes comment was a joke, Kate. It would hurt to run or fight without...erm...support." Unbidden, the thought of supporting Kate with her own hands came to mind, and she quickly dismissed it, her cheeks hotter than before.
Freeing herself of the second sock, she unfastened her skirt and allowed it to slide down her shapely legs, completely unaware of the reaction she was causing within Utena. For a moment she wondered whether she should remove the grey cotton panties that she was left with as well, remembering Mamoru's warning, but since this lady had only requested that she take off her bra she did as she was told. Standing there almost completely nude, she picked up the dress once more and held it up to examine it more closely, admiring it's light pastel color and the softness of the material from which it was made.
Utena coughed slightly, continuing to keep her face politely averted. "Let me know if you need help with the zipper or anything."
"Hmm." Katelyn playfully nodded, turning again to face the mirror. She pulled the pretty new garment over her toned, lithe body, her big blue eyes curiously watching her new appearance in the store's mirror. As she slid the cloth over her shoulders, she reached back to grab the zipper, but it stubbornly remained just out of reach. Despite her flexibility, she could only barely touch the tab of the zipper itself, never able to grab onto it long enough to pull it higher than an inch or so along the track. After accidentally spinning in a complete circle in a futile attempt to do it herself, she looked over at Utena from over her shoulder. "Please...I do not think, that I can do it myself." Her bare back facing her friend as she sat there, politely trying not to stare. "Can you help me?"
Utena swallowed, then stood. With her friend facing away from her, she was able to get her blush under control, and she grasped the zipper carefully. The pull was tiny, probably due to the zipper track itself being exceedingly delicate. As she began to guide the zipper up the track, she was acutely aware of her knuckles dragging against Katelyn's spine, feeling her warm skin. The zipper snagged slightly, and as she moved her arm to reposition her hand and get a better grip to free it, she found that she accidentally brushed Katelyn's pert bottom. Glad that her friend couldn't see her face as it reddened, she corrected her grip on the zipper and pulled it carefully to the top. "How's that?"
The newly clothed girl turned to face the mirror once more, looking to see how the new dress looked on her. The dress caressed her figure, the neckline plunging low across her chest and the thin fabric barely concealing her bare nipples underneath. She smiled, happy with her appearance, though almost not recognizing the girl in the mirror or believing that it was still her. Wanting confirmation to make sure her friend agreed, she turned to Utena. "I like it....but what do you think? Does it look pretty to you?"
What is it they say? In for a penny? Utena turned a frankly admiring gaze to Katelyn. "Very pretty." She ached to reach out and touch her friend, but she was keenly aware that not only would it be inappropriate, she doubted that Kate would welcome it anyway. Hiding a frown - the last thing she wanted was to make Kate think she didn't approve of her pretty new look, Utena thought to herself. What am I doing? This is crazy.
The brunette smiled, almost modestly. She looked down at the dress now with her own eyes, instead of its reflection in the mirror. "And it's so soft, too." Her fingers pinched a small area near her stomach, feeling the fabric between them.
"Hmm." Utena nodded her agreement. Thinking fast, knowing that if she stayed in a quiet, private confined space she might do something she regretted, she turned to Kate with a bright smile. "Bowen-san will want to see you in the dress, too."
"...Okay." Looking a little unsure of herself, Katelyn cautiously peered over the door of the dressing room. In the small, private area that only she and her friend shared, she felt safe and comfortable. Now that she was being asked to open the door and walk across the public area to be examined by a stranger, an expert on women's clothing, she became a little bashful. Not fully used to her own appearance, she took a breath and then stepped out of the room, quietly walking towards the owner and the mirrors she stood beside.
Emily beckoned the girl closer, smiling with approval. "You look lovely, dearie." She gestured to the raised platform in front of the mirrors. "Come stand up here and let's look at all the angles, shall we?"
Katelyn nodded at the elder woman's instructions, and then cautiously stepped up onto the platform. From there, the mirrors reflected her image from all sides, simultaneously showing views of her from the front and both her profiles. She began to smile an almost timid smile, happy to see the change in her appearance but still a little nervous over being examined and judged by a stranger.
Utena stepped out of the dressing room and smiled at Katelyn. "You were right, Bowen-san. It suits her very well." She directed her attention to Katelyn. "Do you like it? Would you like to have it?"
"I, I think it looks, very pretty." Katelyn's blue eyes then turned downward. "But I can not have it. I have nothing to barter with, except the uniform that I wore. And I must have that for school."
Emily and Utena both spoke at once, Emily to say that Katelyn could have the dress for a bargain price, and Utena to immediately volunteer to buy the dress for Kate. "I don't need much for it, dearie. As it came in for alterations and was never picked up, I'd ask only a pittance."
The girl was about to thank the seamstress simply for allowing her to try it on, giving her a rare chance to see herself dressed up feminine and ladylike in something other than her school clothes. Upon hearing the two speak out at once, Katelyn instead turned around, her eyes looking between Utena and Emily and back again before speaking to both at once. "You mean...I-I can keep this?"
Emily only nodded, but Utena spoke up with a smile. "Sure. Consider it a 'Welcome to St. Catherine's' present." Emily walked to the cash register and Utena followed her, leaving Kate in front of the mirror. The two conferred quietly and agreed on a price, which Utena handed over gladly, along with the money for her extra uniforms. Hooking the protective bag for the uniforms over one finger and holding it over her shoulder, she turned back to Kate. "Do you want to wear it home, or are you going to change back into your uniform?"
With an ever-widening smile, Kate cheerfully spoke up. "I want to wear this one! It is so pretty, and the color of the hyacinth". Hopping down, she went back to the changing room to quickly gather the scattered remains of her St. Catherine's uniform and rejoin Utena near the register.
Utena opened the door to the shop and held it for Kate, bidding Emily goodbye with a friendly wave. She waited for the girl to exit the store, ready to walk back to school.
As they exited the store, now that Utena was finished speaking to Emily, Katelyn turned and gave her a large hug before they began to walk back towards the campus. Speaking cheerfully though with a small hint of recollection, she told Utena "This is, very sweet. No one has, bought me nice things before. Thank you, Ooo-tennah the Prince!"
Utena suppressed a blush at the impromptu hug, the image of her half naked friend still burned into her brain. She put that thought aside to give her friend a gallant bow, albeit a slightly awkward one because of the suitbag over her shoulder. "It's a Prince's duty to do nice things for Princesses."
"But, Katelyn is not a princess?" Taking her friend's words literally, she appeared the slightest bit confused for only a moment before smiling once again and happily walking alongside the taller girl down the sidewalk in the direction from which they originally came.
Utena smiled widely. "All girls are princesses." She scuffed her toe as she walked, then grinned over at Katelyn again. "Except me. I'm a Prince. Or I want to be one, anyway."
"I think you make, a very good prince." Katelyn spoke honestly, remembering her decisive actions from the field trip where they originally met, and the kind gestures from this most recent excursion. "You are, very noble and regal, stong but kind..."
Utena really did blush this time, for the compliment touched her heart. "You really think so? I try so hard..."
"You do?" Katelyn blinked in minor confusion at this admission. "But, it always looks so natrual. You never look like you struggle, except the one time in which you slept."
"It only looks easy, I think." She looked down at her feet. "If I didn't have to try hard to do it, it wouldn't be worth doing."
"I see. It is always good to always try." Katelyn turned her eyes towards her feet in a similar gesture, thinking about adapting to her new life in general. "It is, very hard sometimes to do the things you want, but you always have to try. No matter what."
Utena nodded her agreement, then offered her free arm to Katelyn. "Ready to go back to St. Cat's?"
She looked at the arm for a moment, not sure what Utena meant for her to do. Finally realizing that it was another of her Princely gestures, she wrapped both her arms around it, femininely clinging to her side as she smiled and nodded.
Where: Along the path from St. Catherine's to Greenfield's, the local clothing store in town.
When: One random afternoon in mid-April. Before Utena leaves for Japan, or Katelyn meets Rei and River for the free archery lessons.
Private to anyone who wasn't there or nearby at the time. Which would probably be most people, unless someone caught a fleeting glimpse of the two girls walking together.
A Trip into Town: Katelyn and Utena
Dressed in her new uniform, Utena stepped out of her room, one hand in a blazer pocket, the other by her side. She strolled across campus, feeling relaxed and confident, glad that her days of wearing the ridiculous skirt were over. As she moved towards the edge of campus, intent on going into town, she saw a familiar body sprawled in the grass. With a small grin, she made a detour over to Kate and nudged the girl's bare foot with her own loafer.
Katelyn rolled over, staring dreamily upwards at her friend. "Ooo-tennah the Prince! It is, good to see you!" Smiling, she was reminded of the last time they had spoke. "Thank you again, for your candy. It was very good." It was then that she thought that it was slightly odd to run into anyone this far towards the edge of the campus. "Where...where do you go now?"
"I need to go in to town, the tailor was nice enough to have my first uniform ready by Saturday, but I need more and today's the day to pick them up." She smiled at her new friend. "What are you doing out here? Watching clouds?"
"Watching the butterflies," she said in correction. "It is Spring, the weather is warm, and they seek the flowers." As she spoke, she held a hand outward, and as if by command one idly fluttered onto the tips of her fingers, spreading it's blue and yellow wings in the sunlight.
"You have a way with them..." Utena brushed tendrils of pink hair away from her face as she gazed at the butterfly. "My mother said the only way to pet a butterfly was to touch its aura - that any heavier touch would damage its wings. I never tried."
"It is, painful. The wings are delicate, and they can no longer fly." She spoke as if she had personal experience, but did not think to clarify. "Your mother sounds like, a very nice person. Did she like butterflies?"
Her smile turned sad. "She did. And roses, she loved roses. We had a garden full of flowers..." Utena stretched, the movement of her muscles familiar and comforting.
"I am...sorry. You are sad." Katelyn became slightly sad as well. As the butterfly floated away on a breeze, she spoke again. "I, do not remember my mother well. I was very young, when I last saw her."
"The last time I saw 'kaa-san, I was four." Utena shifted her weight, then glanced at her friend. "Where is she now?"
"I-I do not know." Katelyn looked down towards the ground. "I, do not have a father anymore. And my mother...I do not know where she is. Or if she even remembers Katelyn."
"Mothers always remember their children," Utena said kindly. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she loves you."
Katelyn smiled and nodded, though she was not sure that would be the case after so many years. However, it was not in her nature to stay sad and gloomy for long. "Ooo-tennah said she needed to get new clothes. You did not like your old ones?" She tugged at her skirt as she spoke of the standard uniforms.
Utena took the cue to change the subject and chuckled. "I've never liked wearing girl's uniforms...and actually, I never really have. I wore them when I first got here because there weren't any boy's uniforms to be had - but then I decided to have my own made."
Katelyn looked somewhat confused. "But, Ooo-tennah is not a boy? Why does she like dressing like one? I, do not understand...is it because there are no boys in this tribe, except for the Elders?"
"It might seem weird to you, but Princes don't wear dresses or skirts, so neither do I." Impulsively, she extended a hand to the girl. "Want to come with me into town?"
Gracefully accepting the hand, Katelyn stood up to join the Prince. "Into town?", she cautiously asked. "I have, never been to a...town, before..."
"There's no time like the present, then." Utena grinned, releasing the girl's hand after giving it a friendly squeeze, and gesturing towards the path away from campus. "This is the path most of the students use to walk to town. It's a little shorter than taking the official road that the cars drive on."
"Are you sure, that it will be all right?" Katelyn began to walk alongside Utena as she spoke. "At the Wildcat tribe, they would not let me leave the grounds. They were, scared, afraid to let me go far away." Looking up towards the taller girl, she asked, "Will the Elders here be angry?"
"As long as we don't stay out late or miss class, they don't mind," Utena replied reassuringly. "And I suppose they wouldn't like it if we went to places that are inappropriate for a St. Catherine's student, but I don't think we could get into those places anyway - and who would want to?"
Katelyn did not respond, not sure what kinds of places were considered 'inappropriate' for girls like them. Part of her was tempted to say that she wanted to, as she wanted to see and try and experience everything, but she decided not to disagree with her older friend. Instead, she smiled and walked alongside her, thinking of what they might find while they were out.
"So if you haven't been to a town before, this should be interesting for you. We can look around for awhile and explore." She stretched one arm above her head casually, crooking it at the elbow and resting it against the back of her head, one hand dangling down.
"It will be, very interesting." Katelyn definitely agreed, as she was looking forward to seeing how the people in this world lived. "What kinds of things do you think we might see," she innocently asked her companion.
Utena chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, then released it from between white teeth. "Cars, for one. I'm not sure how you got to St. Cat's, but we'll be taking a footbridge over the main road." She paused. "They built for us - the students, I mean. The townspeople didn't want respectable catholic schoolgirls being mown down by all the speeding cars." She grinned in emphasis over the "catholic schoolgirls" remark.
"I do not remember how I came to America...I was badly injured and did not wake up until later. But from the Wildcat tribe, I was taken on one of these cars." She paused for a moment. "They are...very loud. I think I would rather walk, yes, or maybe fly." She continued to listen to her friend, not realizing any stereotypes concerning catholic schoolgirls. To her, she only understood it as far as everyone in the same area wearing similar clothes. "I do not know why you dislike catholic schoolgirl clothes, though. They are pretty, I think." She then twirled around once as she walked forward, laughing lightly as the hem of her skirt flared out from the motion.
Utena laughed at her friend's antics. "You look cute in them." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a funny twinge and hoped she hadn't blushed. "I just think it's funny that there's a magical school here, and most of the people around here don't even believe in magic."
"I do not understand these people sometimes," Katelyn said in somewhat of an understatement. To be more specific, she continued. "How do they not believe? If they see, then how can they not think it is real?"
"They see what they want to see." She shrugged, shoving her hands into the blazer pockets casually. As they walked, the town grew nearer and nearer, and within moments they had crossed the footbridge. The sidewalk broadened and became smoother as they grew nearer to the commercial district. The first shop on the outskirts of town was a small convenience store, intended to service the needs of students far from home with snacks, drinks, postcards and other little necessities.
"This is, the town?" She looked about the area, and towards the store in particular. "This is where Ooo-tennah gets her Prince uniform?"
"Not at the Stop N Shop, but that store is the first place on the way to the tailor's shop. Greenfield's is in the square - the nicest part of the town, actually. There are cafes, department stores, a chocolate shop..." and she winced slightly at the thought of that particular establishment.
Katelyn happened to notice Utena's awkward facial expression. "Ooo-tennah does not like chocolate, then, yes? You gave yours to Minako the Roommate, Artemis Tau, and me, and you do not like that store."
"I guess chocolate is okay, I just kind of...lost my taste for it recently." The pained expression flickered across her face again and she ruthlessly shoved it aside. "I'm trying to think if you would like any of the stores. I don't really know what you like, other than nature and animals. There's a pet store, but I don't like it because I feel sorry for the dogs and cats in the little cages."
"I, do not know what I like, either" she reluctantly admitted. "In the jungles, I did not have time, I had much work to do. When I was not hunting or sleeping, all there was to do was swim, or sun on a rock, or play with the animals." She paused for a moment to think back of her previous school. "Here, I have many classes, because I need to catch up. I spent much time learning the English tongue. It is, better at this new tribe, but I do not have many hobbies."
Utena nodded sympathetically. "I know you have a lot of work to do, but you should have fun sometimes, too. You can come play basketball with me sometime, if you want." They proceeded steadily, until they were nearly to the square.
The naive girl looked around, noticing the change in her environment. "This is the good part, where the Green Field is with your Prince uniforms, yes?" Her eyes turned instinctively towards an open space with a fountain, flower bushes and grassy areas, serving as a small bit of scenery for those sitting outside at the cafe's to look at while eating.
Utena grinned. "That's a green field, all right. Greenfield's, though, is the tailor's shop, and it's just down this sidewalk. If there are any stores you want to look at first, we should do that. No sense carrying a pile of uniforms around town!"
To Katelyn, all of the buildings looked similar in size and shape. Some had hints as to what they sold inside, but many just had corporate slogans and company names on the signs out front. Randomly, Katelyn pointed to a nearby building because of it's interesting shape and the colors of it's logo. "How about this one," she said as she started walking towards the local pub.
Utena nearly squawked with alarm, and grabbed her friend's hand. "That's one of those places I was telling you about - places where St. Cat's students shouldn't go." She grinned sheepishly, leading Katelyn to the establishment next to the pub. "This is a music store. Do you like music?"
"On the outside, it looks the same..." Katelyn spoke quietly at first before answering the question posed to her. "I like music, yes. But I have not listened to much music since coming here, only in cars. Can we...go listen?"
Utena nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, they like for people to come in and listen - because they want you to find a song you like and buy the CD." She glanced over at the pub one more time and addressed Kate's first comment. "And you couldn't have known, because you're right, it does look like all the other buildings. But we'd get in trouble for going there because they serve alcohol." At the questioning look on Kate's face, Utena hurriedly explained. "Alcohol is a drink that makes you act silly, and it can even make you sick if you drink too much."
"It is like kava, then." Katelyn nodded slightly as if she knew more about that topic than the average girl her age should. "The natives in Amazon would drink kava at their celebrations. I, did not know many people, but sometimes they would seek me out. Ask for blessings for weather or hunting or harvests. It was, not as good as feywine, but it did make the villagers very silly and often sick the next morning."
Utena nodded. "Here, only the...what you'd call Elders? Only the Elders are supposed to drink alcohol. And students like us aren't allowed to go places that sell it." She browsed around the store, then beckoned Kate over to the World Music section. "This section has some drumming music, is that anything like what you had in the jungle?"
"That is okay. It is not time for celebration, as it is too early for harvest." She looked around at the many plastic boxes that lie before her, picking several up to look at the pictures on the fronts of them. "Drum music? Yes, there were many drummers at Amazon. They have drums here as well?"
Grinning, Utena pointed to the bright box looming over the wall of CDs and pulled down a set of headphones, demonstrating their use and then handing them to Kate. Her finger hovered over the button that would start the demo track from the tribal drumming CD.
"This is...this is great," she commented eagerly. "These make music just like drummers!" She closed her eyes and began to bob her head with the beat produced by the headphones.
She smiled at her friend's enthusiasm, then pressed another button, changing the demo selection to a gay Irish jig, full of pipes and fiddles.
Her eyes blinked open in a cute display of minor confusion as the song changed mid-beat to something different entirely. "This is...I do not know this music." She paused for a moment to listen, taking in the new sounds. "It is very light. Very open and happy. I like this, too!"
The final button on the box was linked to a selection of Japanese koto music, and Utena pressed the button, a half-smile on her face as she wondered what Kate would think of the music of her homeland. The song was slow and pensive, elegant and refined, yet exotic. It had been written to be performed by geisha entertaining wealthy Japanese nobility and was nearly noble, itself.
This third song intrigued Katelyn the most. The first reminded her of the native tribesmen living in small pockets around the Amazon, and the second sounded vaguely like the music of the Fey. But she had never heard anything like this third style, so soothing and relaxing as opposed to the energetic beats of the first two. It had a mysterious sound, the silence between notes somehow as intriguing as the plucked strings themselves. She closed her eyes as she became lost in their elegant notes. "This one...I cannot describe at all. But it is very special, yes, and I think I like this most."
Utena's warm smile reached her blue eyes with a special sparkle. "I'm glad you like it. That music is from Japan, where I grow up. It's played on an instrument called the koto - and it was once the specialty of beautiful and talented women called geisha."
Katelyn smiled back as she continued to listen to the deep and meaningful notes that the stringed instrument created. The tempo slowed for a moment, becoming sad and soulful, before swelling back to a quicker and more playful pace. In her mind, Katelyn imagined a world where beautiful, talented women dressed in flowing robes plucked the strings of ancient instruments and made such music. "Geisha...", she repeated with her cute little accent. Almost daydreaming, she idly commented "I wish, I could be beautiful and talented and make music like this...."
"You have your own talents, I'm sure," Utena said with a smile. "Beauty, too." And she turned away quickly, hoping the other girl didn't notice the tiniest blush touching her cheeks.
Not noticing Utena's sudden blush, she slowly shook her head in disagreement. "I, am not very talented. I only know to survive. But in this land, that skill is not needed." Katie paused, trying to think of the things that she was able to do. "I only know things like how to hunt, and make things from leather and bone. There is no place here, for talents like that..."
"But you're a Slayer. And I guarantee you're more prepared for hunting demons than any girl raised in the city." Utena smiled encouragingly and began ambling towards the popular music, clicking the CD cases together as she flipped through them.
Katelyn laughed, remembering her bad habit of always launching arrows over the targets instead of through them, at least on the very first shot. "Even in slaying, I only know knives and slings. I must, learn more to fight with swords and arrows." Curiously, she began to watch Utena as she flipped through the plastic cases. "What do you look for now?"
"Betsune." Utena blinked, then repeated in English, "Nothing, really." She held up the Utada Hikaru CD with a wry smile. "When I'm reading Japanese, I tend to speak it out loud, I guess." She flipped the CD over, tracing the familiar kanji with her fingers. "It's unusual to find a Japanese CD in an American store like this - I wonder why they have it?"
"I, do not know?" Katelyn tried to answer the question, not realizing that it was probably rhetorical in nature. "Many students are not from here. Maybe, they like this music too?"
"We do have a lot of Japanese students here," she commented. Utena put the CD back - she had no need of it, because it was already on her MP3 player back in the room. "Have you seen enough of the music store?"
"Hmm!" Katelyn smiled and nodded happily. "So, where do we go next, Ooo-tennah the Prince? Do you need your clothings now, or do you want to go, to another store?"
"I think we have time to stop in another store before I pick up the uniforms. Can you think of something else you'd like to see?"
"Hmmmmm...." Katelyn brought a hand to her chin as she tried to think of someplace that might be interesting. Glancing across the street, her eyes caught another building seemingly at random. "How about that one?", she asked as she pointed in the general direction of a coffee shop.
Utena nodded her agreement and held the door to the music shop open in a Princely manner, escorting her friend across to the coffee shop. As the girls stepped inside, Utena breathed in the intoxicating scent of coffee. "I wish coffee tasted as good as it smells."
"Coffee does not taste good...", her naive friend repeated as she soaked in the new information. "But it does smell good, yes." She looked up at Utena as if slightly confused. "Then why do people drink, if they do not like the taste? Is it also like kava?"
"You might like the taste - some people do. It's bitter." With a smile, Utena went to the counter and ordered a small coffee, holding the hot liquid out to her friend. "See for yourself, but be careful, it's hot."
"This is, for me?" She smiled as she accepted the drink from her friend. Holding the cup carefully in both hands, feeling the warmth soaking into her skin through the styrofoam, she curiously examined the beverage, looking at it's color and taking in it's smell before cautiously taking her first sip. "MmmmMMHH!", she cried out from behind closed lips. "It is very hot, yes!" She then chuckled afterwards, finding the sensation of her slightly burned tastebuds somewhat amusing.
Utena chuckled, not unkindly, at her friend's reaction, then took the cup and put some cream and sugar into it, cooling and sweetening it. She took a sip of it herself, pronouncing it acceptable, and handed it back to Kate. "Try it again now."
She peered into the cup, commenting on the visible changes. "It is, different now. The color is light, and the drink cloudy." A little more cautiously this time, she took a second sip. "Hmm," she said as she thought of words to describe the beverage. "It is, not bad....but the flavor is....I do not know the word. It is, strong, I think?"
"It is. It's good for when you're sleepy - coffee can give you energy." She grinned. "It's no substitute for sleep. One time, Wakaba stayed up all night studying for a test, and she drank coffee all night long. She fell asleep on her desk and failed the test!" Utena chuckled at the memory of her friend's experience. "Sensei let her make it up, though, so it wasn't a big problem."
"This drink gives you energy. That sounds, like it could be useful." Katelyn chuckled though as Utena continued her story. "I think I would rather have sleep, than depend on energy from a drink. It would be bad to fall asleep in the class of Hroo-kah"
Utena laughed. "It would! She'd come up with some horribly devious punishment."
"I would be, very worried." The naive girl thought back to earlier, when some of the other students played their pranks on her. "I am, very lucky that she is not upset with me, after all." She paused as she smiled weakly. "I thought she was not pleased. But she says that I can stay, and it was a trick."
Utena pressed her lips together with disapproval. "I don't like pranks." She paused thoughtfully. "I know you're a Slayer and you can take care of yourself, but if anyone tells you something that sounds bad like that again, tell me. I'll help."
A quiet slurping sound could be heard as Utena spoke, Katelyn finishing off the last of her small drink while she listened. "I will be, okay. That only means that I must try harder." Katelyn smiled up at her taller friend as she spoke with optimism. "But thank you, for being there to help."
She smiled warmly. "You're welcome. Should we go get those uniforms now?" Elegantly, Utena bowed to her friend and opened the door to the coffee shop.
"Yes, yes. That is why we needed to come here." She happily skipped out the door, and began looking around for signs that said something about green fields. After scanning the various buildings for a moment, her eyes settled on the clothing store. "It is this one," she said as she pointed further down the sidewalk.
Utena nodded at her friend. "Yes, that's Greenfield's." Placing a hand gently on Kate's elbow, she escorted her to the door and then opened it for her, waiting until she had entered the shop with its scents of freshly dyed fabric and leather.
Katelyn entered slowly, looking about this new building with curiosity similar to the previous stores. She took in the sights of all the different fabrics in countless shapes and sizes and colors, her eyes growing wide at some of the more delicate garments prominently displayed on the mannequins near the front of the store. Somewhat in awe, she said very little as she walked down the first aisle, eagerly looking at all of the items being showcased.
An elderly woman, her face like a withered apple, stepped forward with a twinkle in her black eyes. "Back for more uniforms, Miss Tenjou?" Utena smiled at the proprietress respectfully, half bowing. "Yes, Bowen-san." She half-turned, displaying the uniform she wore. "It's perfect, I'll be happy to have more."
Katelyn looked up and watched as Utena modeled her own, unique uniform. She smiled, thinking that it did seem to fit her original personality, though she still knew little of how and why people dressed the way that they chose to. She admired the girl briefly while she posed, and then turned to look at one of the displays once again. while she listened to the two speak, a hand cautiously reached out to touch the soft fabric on a particularly cute looking top that a fake torso wore.
The proprietress turned to the newcomer and smiled welcomingly, yellowing and crooked teeth forming a pleasant smile nonetheless. "And who might you be, young lady?" Without waiting for an answer, she extended her bony hand. "I'm Emily Bowen. My husband Harold opened this store with his business partner Alan Greenfield sixty years ago, and I've been working here ever since."
"Oh! I am called 'Katelyn'. I came here with Ooo-tennah the Prince." She looked around somewhat hesitantly, not knowing what else to say. "I, do not have clothing like this...I-I only came to look and see. But they are very beautiful, yes."
Utena smiled, reaching into her pocket for her wallet as her friend spoke to the proprietress. She fingered through the American dollars, counting the unfamiliar bills carefully. "You're too feminine for this menswear, missy," Emily said to the girl. "A dish like you should wear pretty things." She tapped a wrinkled cheek. "I did take in a dress for alteration, recently, and the lady who ordered it never came back to pick it up. It's been sitting in my storeroom for months collecting dust - but I think it would fit you perfectly. Would you like to try it on?"
"But these are my pretty things...", Katelyn said quietly, her school uniform being the prettiest outfit she owned next to her one blue dress. However, this was not saying much as the only outfit that she owned was her gym clothes. She looked back up as she felt the finger poke her cheek, listening as the elderly woman continued to speak. "You can make me look like...like these?" Her eyes wandered up to one of the nearby mannequins modeling a cute and feminine design. Katelyn's face began to light up. "Really, I can try?"
"Certainly," Emily replied, patting Kate's cheek one last time before turning and walking to the store room. "You girls go into that fitting room and I'll bring the dress to you."
Katelyn eagerly nodded, and glanced at Utena briefly before beginning to walk in the direction that Emily pointed out to her. "It is, okay, yes?"
Utena nodded. "Sure, we have plenty of time." She strolled casually into the fitting room, seating herself on the little bench inside.
Katelyn followed her into the small room, standing in front of the mirror and staring into her reflection. Her hands smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform blouse before falling to the hemline of her skirt. She pulled it forward, just enough to look down at it's dark, bleak, colorless design. "I am not pretty in this clothing after all...", she said while examining her uniform.
Utena blinked, startled. "What would make you think that?"
"Even the Elder here says I should wear pretty things. But I can't..." She looked into her own blue eyes, reflected back at herself in the mirror. "I wish I could be pretty, but I'm just a jungle girl. I don't know how to paint my face or have nice things to decorate my body with."
"Being from the jungle has nothing to do with whether you're pretty or not - even what you wear has nothing to do with it." Utena smiled reassuringly. "Beauty is on the inside, and that's the most important thing." She paused, and winked. "Not that there's anything wrong with you on the outside. You have beautiful hair and eyes."
Katelyn looked mildly confused. "Then...if people are beautiful on the inside, then why do they spend so much time, doing things to make themselves beautiful, on the outside? Is it...wrong, to want to be pretty on the outside too?"
Looking thoughtful, Utena leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes briefly. "No, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be pretty on the outside, and you are, and you would be even without trying," and again she smiled reassuringly at Kate. "Some people think more about the outside than they do the inside, and they aren't bad, really, but maybe they are missing out on all the nice things inside a person."
"I see...I think," the girl said as her mind took in the new information. Instead of worrying about things further, she began to unbutton the front of her blouse. Slowly a smile began to return to her face as she anticipated whatever it was this store owner had that she thought Katelyn would look nice in. Pulling the uniform shirt free from the skirt that it was tucked into, she finished the last few buttons and let the garment slide down her shoulders and onto the floor.
Utena averted her eyes, mentally chiding herself for wanting to look at her friend. Before the moment could turn awkwardly, however, Emily Bowen returned, opening the fitting room door and pressing a hanger into Kate's hand. "Try that on, dearie, then come out and let me see you." The dress was a soft lilac color, knee-length with an asymmetrical hemline and it was made of an impossibly soft chiffon blend that would drape flatteringly against the body. The modest vee-neckline was accented by a knot that would fall between the breasts and draw subtle attention to the cleavage of the wearer.The barely there sleeves capped the shoulders neatly. A long zipper ran from the back of the collar to the waist, and it had been deftly sewn into the fabric so as to be nearly invisible when closed.
Katelyn stood there, unashamed, as the door began to open. Her shoes already kicked off, she was left wearing only her pleated uniform skirt, white socks and a black sports bra. She looked over her shoulder at the older woman's announcement, and then turned halfway in her direction. With her torso facing Utena, she turned her head and accepted the hanger with a smile. "This is....this is really pretty! Thank you, for letting me try this!"
The urge to look was nearly irresistible, but Utena prevailed, keeping her gaze discreetly averted, even as Kate's...charms...were right in front of her face. Princes, she thought, do not leer at their friends! Emily chuckled. "That brassiere won't go with the dress at all, dearie. The lines won't be perfect, but try it on without it." Emily pulled the door closed, leaving the girls alone, and walked over to the three-sided mirror to wait.
Nodding, the partially dressed girl simply pulled off the undesired article of clothing which deceptively held back her ample bosom. Now completely topless, no lines were visible on her lightly tanned skin. "That is something else, that I do not understand. The Teacher of Flight told me that I was, not allowed to wear underclothes." She placed a foot next to Utena, as she leaned forward to roll down one of her socks. "And now, this Elder says the same thing....but, doesn't it hurt to run fast, if you do not wear them?" Stepping down, she pulled the first sock off before stepping up again to repeat the process with her opposite foot.
Before she could stop herself, Utena looked up and got an unintentional eyeful of creamy breasts and pert nipples. She bit her lip and was fairly sure that despite her best efforts not to do such an unprincely thing as blush, her cheeks were quite red. The girl forced her tone to normalcy. "I think the not-wearing-underclothes comment was a joke, Kate. It would hurt to run or fight without...erm...support." Unbidden, the thought of supporting Kate with her own hands came to mind, and she quickly dismissed it, her cheeks hotter than before.
Freeing herself of the second sock, she unfastened her skirt and allowed it to slide down her shapely legs, completely unaware of the reaction she was causing within Utena. For a moment she wondered whether she should remove the grey cotton panties that she was left with as well, remembering Mamoru's warning, but since this lady had only requested that she take off her bra she did as she was told. Standing there almost completely nude, she picked up the dress once more and held it up to examine it more closely, admiring it's light pastel color and the softness of the material from which it was made.
Utena coughed slightly, continuing to keep her face politely averted. "Let me know if you need help with the zipper or anything."
"Hmm." Katelyn playfully nodded, turning again to face the mirror. She pulled the pretty new garment over her toned, lithe body, her big blue eyes curiously watching her new appearance in the store's mirror. As she slid the cloth over her shoulders, she reached back to grab the zipper, but it stubbornly remained just out of reach. Despite her flexibility, she could only barely touch the tab of the zipper itself, never able to grab onto it long enough to pull it higher than an inch or so along the track. After accidentally spinning in a complete circle in a futile attempt to do it herself, she looked over at Utena from over her shoulder. "Please...I do not think, that I can do it myself." Her bare back facing her friend as she sat there, politely trying not to stare. "Can you help me?"
Utena swallowed, then stood. With her friend facing away from her, she was able to get her blush under control, and she grasped the zipper carefully. The pull was tiny, probably due to the zipper track itself being exceedingly delicate. As she began to guide the zipper up the track, she was acutely aware of her knuckles dragging against Katelyn's spine, feeling her warm skin. The zipper snagged slightly, and as she moved her arm to reposition her hand and get a better grip to free it, she found that she accidentally brushed Katelyn's pert bottom. Glad that her friend couldn't see her face as it reddened, she corrected her grip on the zipper and pulled it carefully to the top. "How's that?"
The newly clothed girl turned to face the mirror once more, looking to see how the new dress looked on her. The dress caressed her figure, the neckline plunging low across her chest and the thin fabric barely concealing her bare nipples underneath. She smiled, happy with her appearance, though almost not recognizing the girl in the mirror or believing that it was still her. Wanting confirmation to make sure her friend agreed, she turned to Utena. "I like it....but what do you think? Does it look pretty to you?"
What is it they say? In for a penny? Utena turned a frankly admiring gaze to Katelyn. "Very pretty." She ached to reach out and touch her friend, but she was keenly aware that not only would it be inappropriate, she doubted that Kate would welcome it anyway. Hiding a frown - the last thing she wanted was to make Kate think she didn't approve of her pretty new look, Utena thought to herself. What am I doing? This is crazy.
The brunette smiled, almost modestly. She looked down at the dress now with her own eyes, instead of its reflection in the mirror. "And it's so soft, too." Her fingers pinched a small area near her stomach, feeling the fabric between them.
"Hmm." Utena nodded her agreement. Thinking fast, knowing that if she stayed in a quiet, private confined space she might do something she regretted, she turned to Kate with a bright smile. "Bowen-san will want to see you in the dress, too."
"...Okay." Looking a little unsure of herself, Katelyn cautiously peered over the door of the dressing room. In the small, private area that only she and her friend shared, she felt safe and comfortable. Now that she was being asked to open the door and walk across the public area to be examined by a stranger, an expert on women's clothing, she became a little bashful. Not fully used to her own appearance, she took a breath and then stepped out of the room, quietly walking towards the owner and the mirrors she stood beside.
Emily beckoned the girl closer, smiling with approval. "You look lovely, dearie." She gestured to the raised platform in front of the mirrors. "Come stand up here and let's look at all the angles, shall we?"
Katelyn nodded at the elder woman's instructions, and then cautiously stepped up onto the platform. From there, the mirrors reflected her image from all sides, simultaneously showing views of her from the front and both her profiles. She began to smile an almost timid smile, happy to see the change in her appearance but still a little nervous over being examined and judged by a stranger.
Utena stepped out of the dressing room and smiled at Katelyn. "You were right, Bowen-san. It suits her very well." She directed her attention to Katelyn. "Do you like it? Would you like to have it?"
"I, I think it looks, very pretty." Katelyn's blue eyes then turned downward. "But I can not have it. I have nothing to barter with, except the uniform that I wore. And I must have that for school."
Emily and Utena both spoke at once, Emily to say that Katelyn could have the dress for a bargain price, and Utena to immediately volunteer to buy the dress for Kate. "I don't need much for it, dearie. As it came in for alterations and was never picked up, I'd ask only a pittance."
The girl was about to thank the seamstress simply for allowing her to try it on, giving her a rare chance to see herself dressed up feminine and ladylike in something other than her school clothes. Upon hearing the two speak out at once, Katelyn instead turned around, her eyes looking between Utena and Emily and back again before speaking to both at once. "You mean...I-I can keep this?"
Emily only nodded, but Utena spoke up with a smile. "Sure. Consider it a 'Welcome to St. Catherine's' present." Emily walked to the cash register and Utena followed her, leaving Kate in front of the mirror. The two conferred quietly and agreed on a price, which Utena handed over gladly, along with the money for her extra uniforms. Hooking the protective bag for the uniforms over one finger and holding it over her shoulder, she turned back to Kate. "Do you want to wear it home, or are you going to change back into your uniform?"
With an ever-widening smile, Kate cheerfully spoke up. "I want to wear this one! It is so pretty, and the color of the hyacinth". Hopping down, she went back to the changing room to quickly gather the scattered remains of her St. Catherine's uniform and rejoin Utena near the register.
Utena opened the door to the shop and held it for Kate, bidding Emily goodbye with a friendly wave. She waited for the girl to exit the store, ready to walk back to school.
As they exited the store, now that Utena was finished speaking to Emily, Katelyn turned and gave her a large hug before they began to walk back towards the campus. Speaking cheerfully though with a small hint of recollection, she told Utena "This is, very sweet. No one has, bought me nice things before. Thank you, Ooo-tennah the Prince!"
Utena suppressed a blush at the impromptu hug, the image of her half naked friend still burned into her brain. She put that thought aside to give her friend a gallant bow, albeit a slightly awkward one because of the suitbag over her shoulder. "It's a Prince's duty to do nice things for Princesses."
"But, Katelyn is not a princess?" Taking her friend's words literally, she appeared the slightest bit confused for only a moment before smiling once again and happily walking alongside the taller girl down the sidewalk in the direction from which they originally came.
Utena smiled widely. "All girls are princesses." She scuffed her toe as she walked, then grinned over at Katelyn again. "Except me. I'm a Prince. Or I want to be one, anyway."
"I think you make, a very good prince." Katelyn spoke honestly, remembering her decisive actions from the field trip where they originally met, and the kind gestures from this most recent excursion. "You are, very noble and regal, stong but kind..."
Utena really did blush this time, for the compliment touched her heart. "You really think so? I try so hard..."
"You do?" Katelyn blinked in minor confusion at this admission. "But, it always looks so natrual. You never look like you struggle, except the one time in which you slept."
"It only looks easy, I think." She looked down at her feet. "If I didn't have to try hard to do it, it wouldn't be worth doing."
"I see. It is always good to always try." Katelyn turned her eyes towards her feet in a similar gesture, thinking about adapting to her new life in general. "It is, very hard sometimes to do the things you want, but you always have to try. No matter what."
Utena nodded her agreement, then offered her free arm to Katelyn. "Ready to go back to St. Cat's?"
She looked at the arm for a moment, not sure what Utena meant for her to do. Finally realizing that it was another of her Princely gestures, she wrapped both her arms around it, femininely clinging to her side as she smiled and nodded.